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MediumSplunk security contentTeoderick Contreras +1

Powershell Defender Threat Actions Set to Allow

The following analytic detects the setting of the Windows Defender Threat Actions to allow. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Processes data model, specifically monitoring the execution of the `Set-MpPreference`…

Description

The following analytic detects the setting of the Windows Defender Threat Actions to allow. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Processes data model, specifically monitoring the execution of the `Set-MpPreference` cmdlet with the `-HighThreatDefaultAction`, `-ModerateThreatDefaultAction`, `-LowThreatDefaultAction`, and `-SevereThreatDefaultAction` parameters set to `6`. This activity is significant because it is commonly used by malware such as RATs, bots, or Trojans to evade detection by allowing threats to pass through the Windows Defender antivirus engine. If confirmed malicious, this action could allow an attacker to execute malicious code without being detected by Windows Defender, leading to potential data exfiltration, further system compromise, or persistent access within the environment.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
Windows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.

Log source category
crowdstrike_processrollup2sysmon_eventid_1windows_event_log_security_4688

Known benign triggers

  • Limited false positives. However, tune based on scripts that may perform this action.

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